


Will You Be Here Next Year?

by IamDaiBae



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Christmas fic, F/M, Fluff, Holiday Proposal, No beta sorry oops, Post-Canon, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Semi-established relationship, super fluff, super sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:47:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28298472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IamDaiBae/pseuds/IamDaiBae
Summary: Constance isn't one to celebrate the holidays, tired of celebrating them alone each year after after the war. Though, out of nowhere, an old flame comes out of nowhere, and fluff ensues.Also known as: Yuri dresses up as the Fódlan equivalent of Santa in hopes to impress a girl.
Relationships: Yuris Leclair | Yuri Leclerc & Constance von Nuvelle, Yuris Leclair | Yuri Leclerc/Constance von Nuvelle
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8





	Will You Be Here Next Year?

**Author's Note:**

> Christmas Fic  
> Christmas Fic  
> Christmas Fic
> 
> Hiya! I hope you enjoy this fic of two characters being dorks together on the Holiday!

Winter in the Nuvelle territory was absolutely beautiful, the snow was light, but enough to paint the ground white, the water not quite frozen over, but small chunks of ice were visible, and it happened to be one of Constance’s favourite times of the year. The Lady of the House Nuvelle enjoyed the wintertime, especially overcast, grey days the most. Though everyone tended to dislike those the most, Constance von Nuvelle always made a habit of going out and exploring the territory that she had won back after the great war over Fódlan. 

Over the years, Constance grew close with the people that lived in her land, and so she was generally well respected, which was everything she ever wanted in life, after getting her name back. A new chapter of her life started after the war, and she took it very seriously as she ruled a territory all on her own. As she walked through the streets of the Nuvelle capital in a heavy coat over her winter dress, she would greet people on her walk, her favourite lace parasol in her hands at all times in case the sun decided to peak out. Tall, skinny and lean, she was no stranger to hearing some of her older neighbours invite her for a large meal, or to help her with her work, but their generosity truly warmed her heart enough. So when there was a man following her down the street, she was quickly approached by one of the women who talked to her on her walk, linking an arm with her while looking back, leaving Constance surprised. 

“Adelaide, what is the issue?” Constance asked, tilting her head as she looked back, to see that there was no one there. The woman narrowed her eyes, before the two of them continued to walk, both of them chatting. The worries quickly dissipated, but quickly returned when the older woman looked back again. 

“I hate to worry you, miss, but there’s a man following you.” She said in a hushed tone, and Constance immediately grew defensive, prepared to give whoever it was a good yelling too. When she looked back, she didn’t see anyone once again, but when she went to look back to where she was walking, she bumped into someone. 

“Do you have any idea-” Constance began to raise her voice as she looked back, only to be greeted with the proud grin of a very, very familiar face, one she hadn’t seen in at least three years. The former leader of the Ashen Wolves, and a dear friend of hers. Before the woman beside her could get upset on her behalf, Constance quickly let go of her arm before jumping at the man in front of her, and her parasol dropped forgotten on the ground. Instantly she was caught and spun around, then Yuri planted a kiss on Constance’s forehead, both of them smiling brightly as the two of them laughed. 

“Yuri Leclerc! What a surprise!” Constance said as she was set back on her feet and she smiled up to the taller man, his purple hair had gotten even longer, pulled back into a ponytail. Ever so charming, she noted, especially when he smiled down to her with a twinkle in his eyes. “I’d normally ask how you found me, but I figure I would know the answer.” She teased, lightly pushing his arm, making him laugh as he winked down to her. He pulled away from the blonde and went to Adelaide, bowing to her before taking a hand and pressing a gentle kiss to the back of her hand. 

“I apologize for making you worry. I only meant to surprise  _ Lady Nuvelle,  _ I sincerely apologize for any worry I caused.” He said, his voice smooth as silk as the woman blushed, stammering out something about how he was forgiven. With a wink to the woman, he looked back to Constance, nodding his head down the road, asking her to accompany him. With a starry-eyed smile, she nodded before turning to Adelaide, who only nodded back to her and walked off. With one smooth motion, he leaned down to grab the lace parasol that was sitting in the snow and returned it to her. Taking her accessory back, she linked her arm with his, and the pair of them began walking down the street together. 

~

It had been a long trip for Yuri, as he usually found himself busy with being the leader of the largest underground organization, the Mockingbird never took time to rest. Yet, there must have been something to convince him to take some time off, and when he looked down to see the blonde hugging his arm, he was reminded. 

She had really grown up since he last saw her. Her blonde hair grew even longer, but she wore it as a ponytail, her bangs framing her pretty face perfectly. No longer did she constantly seem to look for validation, but instead she carried herself with a special sort of confidence, one that only came with getting everything you want, and more. Constance was more mature, and she seemed happy with where she was in life, despite having settled on ruling her house alone. Many suitors were at her door the minute she was announced to have been given power, but she declined every single one, and Yuri happily supported her through it, though his reasoning was a little more selfish, in that he didn’t want to see her rule Nuvelle with anyone else.

Admittedly, their relationship was a bit… Odd, to say the least. A lot was said between them before everyone separated on their own paths, but it was agreed that they both had so much left to do in their own lives before they could talk about devoting their lives to the other, or whatever it was that couples told each other, but Constance was adamant that she achieve her dreams before they could talk. Then it simply came down to them being busy over the years, and not having enough time to dedicate, and yet, they both knew that they were attracted to the other, and instead settled on a more casual sort of relationship, until they both knew what they wanted. 

“So, what brings you to Nuvelle?” Constance asked, looking up to him with those ever-curious eyes of hers, and Yuri could only laugh and shrug. 

“I suppose I was just passing by the territory, and I figured that it was worth seeing a friend. I was actually on my way to a job, but there's no harm in spending a few days to myself, enjoying the sights.” His answer was short, but that seemed enough to satisfy her. 

As the pair of them walked through the streets, Yuri took notice of how stunning Constance was. Everywhere the two of them went, she was getting looks, or even called out to by the locals. She really was something else, it was impossible not to grin at the sight. If he could go back to their days living in a sewer and tell Constance that she would get everything she would ever want, he already knew her reaction;  _ “Well of course I would. I am Constance von Nuvelle!”  _ And to her credit, that confidence and unwavering faith in her own abilities did end up getting her there. 

“Well, I take it you’re staying for a few more days then? Interesting timing, I’ll say,” Constance teased, sticking her tongue out to him, and Yuri laughed, knowing that he was caught. 

“Have you gotten smarter, Shady Lady? Come now, that’s not fair,” his tone was sad, and accompanied by a sigh, before flashing a toothy grin to her, “hey, it just so happened to work out that I’d be here for Saint Cichol’s tomorrow, and a little birdie told me that you’d recently just had a new orphanage put up in the last few years.” 

Classic Yuri. When he looked at her with such an innocent smile, she couldn’t turn down the opportunity to spend the holiday with him, even though she hadn’t properly celebrated in well over a decade. 

Saint Cichol Day was a rather important holiday to most, an incredibly festive holiday to honour one of the four Saints. It was always said that Saint Cichol was a compassionate man, as well as a stern one, which led to people using his birthday as an excuse to spend with their families, their friends and their lovers, a time to be thankful for everyone in their lives. 

Constance however, ever since losing her family all those years ago, had taken up a tradition of not participating, and even grew bitter to the holiday in her younger years, especially when her “lover” was a man who never stuck around in one place for too long. Now that she was older, however, she simply chose not to celebrate it herself but instead planned on going to the local orphanage to teach some of the children magic and ensure they were well fed for the holiday. 

Yuri, on the other hand, was always enthusiastic about the holiday. Ever since it was just him and his mother, he had fond memories of days together with her and their own little holidays. It was never anything lavish since they were quite impoverished, but the memories of warmth were enough to fuel his passion for the holiday. Even in Abyss, he was very renowned for giving his men a break for the holidays, and ensuring the families under his protection had a little extra. That led to interesting holidays in Abyss during their time as Ashen Wolves, Yuri would be completely enthusiastic, but Constance wanted nothing to do with the holiday. However, even as they got older, they would sometimes do little gifts to the other, as well as Hapi and Balthus.

“The little birdie also mentioned that you were going to the orphanage to teach them how to do some fancy tricks?” The Trickster asked as she gasped, swatting his arm. 

“Have you sent someone to spy on my territory?” She accused, making him laugh as he shook his head. 

“Me? Never. Call it more  _ assurance _ . Don’t worry, they’ll be leaving with me.” He winked at her, earning another swat on his arm. 

“They better be! And for your question, yes, that was the plan at least. Since I usually spend it alone, I’ve gotten in the habit of spending it with the orphaned children, and attempting to make it better for them.” Constance said with a small sheepish grin, and Yuri admired her for a moment. 

Despite how flashy and loud that she often seemed, she really did have a heart under all of those stone walls, and it was made of gold. That’s most likely why he was willing to spend this time with her because he admired her complexity. 

“Fantastic, I’ll join you,” Yuri said with a definitive nod, and before Constance could argue that he was encroaching on her territory and hijacking her traditions, she remembered what a saint that the Trickster could be when it came to children, and it had been too long since she had seen him last. Perhaps she could tolerate him for a little while longer, and hopefully, catch up with an old friend. 

“I’ll have you know that I start quite early,” Constance said with an indignant huff, but she was only given a hum as a response. Spending the next day with Yuri wasn’t going to be an issue, in fact, she was really looking forward to hearing about his adventures, she had only wished it to be any other day. 

As the two of them continued to walk around, Constance gave him a proper tour of all of her favourite spots, and Yuri seemed happy to walk with her, listening to her flaunt her success. It had even begun to snow on the pair, but neither of them was willing to end their day out on the town together. For as small as Nuvelle was, it still felt like there was so much more to see by the time that the sun started to set, and Yuri mentioned that he would need to return to the inn that he was staying at. Standing in front of the building, Constance took one of his hands in her own, scolding him for not wearing gloves. His hands were cold, and surprisingly rough underneath her own soft ones. 

“You know that if you had let me know, I would have allowed you to stay at the manor,” Constance pouted, and Yuri laughed, shrugging. 

“What? Were you hoping I’d stay the night?” Yuri asked with a wink, making her quickly stammer and turn rosy at his accusation, only adding to his amusement and shaking his head. “I’m joking, I’m joking! I just figured that it might be best to assist in the economy of Nuvelle, not that you need it.” Like always, he was always to get a read on, but for a moment, the two of them stood in front of the inn with the snow falling, Constance holding his hand. For a moment, Yuri took in the sight of the beautiful blonde and how she looked with snowflakes stuck in her hair and caught on her eyelashes. 

“Right, well,” the sorceress broke the silence, looking around before looking back up to him, smiling, “I’m happy to see you again, Yuri. I’m happy to see you’re safe.” Her tone was genuine, and the next thing she knew, Yuri leaned forward and kissed her gently. 

How long had it been since he had her so close to him? If he had to guess, it’s been months, if not years. There was no real excuse, he knew that, but his work asked too much of him to be around all the time, so their small moments of intimacy were ones to be treasured. Especially when she gently kissed him back, returning his affection, if only for a second before she pulled away, smiling up to him with an almost sad look in her eyes. 

“I’ve missed you,” Constance said softly, and Yuri nodded, kissing her forehead. 

“I know, I’ve missed you too, Shady Lady. You look great, I’m happy to see you’ve been taking care of yourself.” His voice was a lot softer, and she nodded a little, her free hand resting on his cheek. “Just a little longer with work, then I’ll-” 

“I know, Yuri. I’ve told you, you’ll always have a place in House Nuvelle, no matter when that may be.” Her tone was a rare one, full of gentleness and softness that not everyone got to hear from Lady Nuvelle. She was always so understanding, he wasn’t sure how exactly she managed to do it. She drove him crazy, and it did hurt his heart to know that he couldn’t always be by her side, but he could at least do the next best thing and be by her side for the holiday. 

As they stood together, whispering sweet nothings to the other, it only got colder, and snowier the longer they stood there, so Constance hesitantly pulled away, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. 

“Alright, I will see you in the morning, right? You had better not be late, or I will smite you with the most intense of fire spells!” She confirmed with him, making sure that he was going to be there like he promised, and he once again flashed that award-winning smile to her. 

“You know what they say, the early bird catches the worm.” It was silly, but the reassurance made her feel a little lighter, and instead, she placed a light kiss on the back of his hand before letting go, and she started to make her way back to the manor, but before she got too far, she heard him call out to her. “Hey Shady Lady!” 

When she turned to look back to him, he blew her a kiss with a wink before going back inside, and she laughed with an eye roll, watching him go back inside the warm inn before she made her way back home, feeling warm despite the snow falling heavily around her. 

~

The next day was Saint Cichol Day, and it started as uneventful for the blonde, much like any other day for her, but she was pleasantly surprised to see Yuri at her from the door, along with a bouquet, making her wonder just where he had managed to find red roses in the middle of the season, but that was something she adored about Yuri, the spontaneity that he had, and she was thankful for it, even though she hadn’t anything for him. 

“So, are we heading over?” Yuri asked, but watched as Constance grabbed a bag of finely wrapped gifts, seeing various names on them, all signed by the Lady herself. 

“Yes, right away, but I wanted to make sure that I’d have the gifts for the children ready. I have always hated wrapping presents, perhaps I should make a spell to do it for me one of these years.” With a dramatic sigh, Yuri laughed as he wrapped an arm around her, nodding a little. Before they could head out, Constance wanted to run inside to put the flowers in a vase and water. This was not the first time Yuri had been welcome inside her home, but standing in the entrance hall was something that he wished he could have done for a longer amount of time before she returned to him.

“It doesn’t feel right for me to show up without a present though, I’m not sure I’ll be very welcome,” Yuri said before she shook her head as they started their walk, greeting anyone they passed by. It was no secret to the people of Nuvelle that she was spending her holiday with the children, but the real surprise was the man with his arm around her shoulders, but she figured there would be more than enough time to explain when he goes back to work. The walk to the building wasn’t a very long one, and in front of them was what looked like a really large house, and even from outside, Yuri could see children looking out the window at them before rushing downstairs. As if on cue, the door opened and a brunette woman with red eyes and a prominent beauty mark under her left eye smiled at them, behind her a group of children seemed to be waiting. 

“Miss Constance!” The brown-haired worker smiled as she welcomed Constance and her guest inside the building, and quickly a small group of children ran up to them, hugging Constance and staring at Yuri, wondering just who this stranger with  _ Miss Coco _ is. When Yuri overheard their nickname for the blonde, he couldn’t help but laugh, making her blush at the teasing. 

“Hapi visited with me once, and the nickname stuck.” She explained with a sheepish grin as the woman running the building managed to get the children off of her and then brought the two of them into the main area where they would be free to sit and relax with the children, giving them a chance to actually spend the day on a bright note. The living room was a lot nicer than Yuri expected, with a fireplace, nice furniture, as well as even a tree that was decorated for Saint Cichol’s. Yuri was invited to sit down, while Constance was asked to speak to the woman quickly, bringing the bag of gifts along with her, leaving Yuri to his own devices.

Now that he was alone with this group of children, it wasn’t long before a child wormed their way onto his lap as he sat on a couch, looking up to him with big eyes and a look of awe. 

“Mister, are you always so pretty?” They asked with such an innocent look on their face, and Yuri laughed, ruffling their hair. 

“I like to think so.” He answered, being bombarded with a million questions since answering the first one, and he was happy to entertain them by answering. They asked him questions varying from what he thought of the goddess to what animal would he beat in a fight. He naturally had a way with children, and he hadn’t noticed Constance standing in the doorway, watching him interact with them for a small moment before she disappeared again for some business, leaving him to talk with the kids. 

“Do you know Miss Coco?” One young boy that was sitting beside him asked as they looked up to him, and Yuri nodded. “She’s really pretty, one day I’m gonna marry her.” Yuri couldn’t help but laugh at such confidence that the little kid had, he couldn’t have been older than ten, and he seemed so determined. 

“I don’t know about that one kiddo,” Yuri answered, grinning, and the kid gasped, then stuck their tongue out to him. “I’m just saying, the Sha-  _ Miss Coco _ is a very pretty woman. Maybe I’m gonna beat you to it.” Yuri said, sticking his tongue out to the kid in response, making the kid pout and sulk, at least until Yuri brought out a bag of sweets and offered him some, as a bribe to not say anything to the blonde. 

After an hour or so, Constance returned to the group to see Yuri reading a book to the group of children, and she smiled softly at the sight, seeing him engage with them, and all eyes were on him as he dynamically told the story. It was of the four apostles, a story that wasn’t told often, and it was ironic that they were telling their story. When she made her way over, Yuri grinned up to her, and she went to sit beside him, unsurprised as that same little boy climbed onto her lap as they listened to his story. 

When the story was brought to a close, the children looked sleepy, all completely relaxed and calm, which was rare for this group of kids, but she was thankful for his help. Some kids fell asleep, but there were a few that stayed awake, asking Constance for her magic and to do crazy tricks, some that were nearly impossible, but Constance was happy to also entertain using her own set of skills. With Yuri’s help, they managed to make it fun and ensure that it would be a good day for them.

At least until Constance brought out the gifts she had gotten for the children, and they happily took them, unwrapping them and looking at their gifts with wide-eyed excitement at the toys and various presents she had gotten for them. They all thanked her and gave her hugs, and she was happy to reciprocate, happy to see them smiling so wide. Though, as they were saying thank you, one little girl asked Constance if Saint Cichol was going to stop by to visit so that they could give him cookies they had made specifically for the holiday, and her face almost dropped, knowing that it would be hard to answer. 

“I don’t know if he will be stopping by, I’m sorry,” Constance said with a frown, and instantly the kids began to pout, some even threatening to spill tears over it. She quickly began to panic, not wanting to see them so sad, and she promised them that he was just busy and that he was going to be there maybe next year for them. Yuri watched with a small frown on his own face, seeing that familiar spark of sadness behind her eyes before he looked around, and he slipped away, without anyone noticing right away. Constance managed to get them to calm down, and instead got them focusing on the presents that they had gotten, and settled on playing dolls with some of the kids, looking around for Yuri. 

“Where did he slip off to?” She asked out loud, a bit disappointed that he didn’t stick around, but she knew better than to be hung up on him, especially when she was busy. 

~

An hour after, Constance was in the kitchen with the kids, decorating cookies as they continued to bake, Constance was dead set on making them forget about “Saint Cichol” visiting them and instead on what they were doing, and she was doing her best to keep up with their demands. Even now, she was wearing an apron covered in flour, her hair pulled up into a ponytail and a determined look until there was a knock on the door. 

_ How odd, there was no one expected…  _ Constance thought to herself as she excused herself from the children and instead went to the door to open it, seeing quite the sight in front of her that made her jaw drop. 

Immediately she knew it was Yuri, but he had dressed up as Saint Cichol. From the Saint’s robes, as well as a noticeably fake green beard that hid the bottom half of his face. The only reason Constance knew it was him was the purple eyes and smile that he had, motioning to his outfit along with a wink. She was completely stunned, wondering just what he thought he was doing, in disbelief before she heard one high pitched voice. 

“Saint Cichol!” When Constance looked behind her, there was the group of children, all of their jaws dropped, as well as the brown-haired woman, her own eyebrows raised in slight surprise, but she was grinning slightly, before she turned to the kids, instructing them to remain calm, and that he will be welcome to come inside if they behave. Immediately they all calmed down, basically, all of them vibrating with excitement as Constance went along with it, dramatically welcoming him inside, motioning him into the house, and Yuri gladly took the party, also bearing a large bag with more presents. 

It didn’t take very long for Yuri to have his mouth stuffed with cookies that the kids made, as well as the kids getting into his bag of presents, all signed quite nicely by “Saint Cichol” and when Constance looked at the writing, she noted that the writing looked almost  _ exactly  _ like someone in the Church’s writing. She covered her mouth, holding back a small laugh, and when she looked to Yuri, dressed up quite ridiculously, he looked more than happy to dress up, entertaining the children by pretending to be the Saint, making their holiday the best it could be. 

“I’ve had so much fun here with you all, but I must be going,” Yuri said in his worst Seteth impression that he could muster, and the kids all began to whine and pout, he only laughed and took another cookie off the plate, eating it. “Me and Miss Coco need to go off and finish working.” He said before they turned to Constance, their jaws dropped. 

“Miss Coco! You know Saint Cichol?” They asked in awe, and she laughed and nodded, taking off her apron and hanging it up. 

“That’s right, and I’ve told him what a great group of kids you are. Maybe… Maybe next year he’ll even be willing to stop by next year. Only if your kids are very, very good for Miss Naeris!” Constance said, and they all nodded quickly. When she looked back to Yuri, he motioned his head to show that they should get going and she nodded back. The children gave their last hugs goodbye and thanks for the presents before Constance grabbed her coat and she left the building with Yuri, who was quick to take off the beard when they were out of sight, smiling to Constance with a toothy grin. 

~

“You really didn’t have to do that, Yuri,” Constance said, shaking her head with a smile, officially taking in the sight of him all dressed up, laughing at the absurdity. 

“Of course I didn’t, but as I said, I couldn’t show up empty-handed, and it wasn’t going to be a great holiday if the kids were frowning all evening, so I figured, what’s the harm in making their day even better.” He said, and Constance took his hand again, shaking her head as suddenly the snow started falling at an impressive rate, very quickly making it cold for them. Constance’s manor wasn’t very far, but Yuri insisted that they go back to his room at the inn, claiming that there was something he needed for her back there, so she gladly followed him. 

By the time they had gotten into the inn, the snow had doubled in volume, and it slowly turned into a storm, no sign of letting up. The innkeeper gave them a very peculiar look as they went to go back to his room, and Constance was still simply curious about what it was that he would want to talk about, especially after their day together. She supposed that she never did actually thank him for going so above and beyond for the kids, but she knew that Yuri would always be willing to go to such lengths for the underprivileged, and it was a good quality of his. His humanity was admirable, especially when it came to those in need. 

Yuri opened the door to his room, and it was immaculate, much like how Yuri always lived. Ever the clean freak, Constance snickered to herself as she went to sit on his bed, and Yuri rifled through his bag, getting out a change of clothes. 

“I’m going to get changed, then can I get you something to drink, Lady Nuvelle?” He asked, looking over to her with a teasing look, sticking his tongue out to her, making her laugh as she relaxed slightly, shaking her head slightly. 

“It’s about time that you addressed me by my official title rather than that silly nickname.” She argued, and Yuri pretended to think for a moment before shaking his head. 

“Hm, it just doesn’t sit as well for me. You’ll always be my Shady Lady.” He sounded confident that it was hard to be annoyed at the almost decade-old nickname, so instead, she brushed it off. Watching as Yuri excused himself to get dressed back into his usual wear, Constance found herself looking around the room, forgetting what it felt like to have been in the same room as him. She looked over to his minimal bags, reminding herself that he wasn't intending on staying long and that there wasn’t much time for them to be together. 

Constance looked over to him, to see him holding two glasses of wine, and he was dressed comfortably. His eyebrow raised as she looked at him, and she turned pink realizing he was watching her be deep in thought. She gladly took the glass from him, smelling the wine that he had brought. It didn’t smell like anything that had been produced here, so she wondered just how long he’d had a bottle of wine for. After taking a sip, she watched as Yuri lit the candles around his room, making it a little brighter around them, and setting a comfortable atmosphere. It was enough to almost make her feel bad for getting ready to leave so early. Without a second thought, Yuri went to the fireplace and started a fire with a little help of magic.

“Are you cold? Hopefully, the fire will keep you warm, so you can take your jacket off and just take a moment to yourself.” Yuri offered, and she nodded a little, shedding the jacket as she hung it up on the coat rack, though when she had turned around, Yuri was right in front of her, grinning to her before gently taking the glass from her hand and instead pulled her close, swaying with her to an imaginary rhythm. “You’re so tense, milady, it’s a holiday, just relax.” He said gently, and she did soften up slightly, allowing herself to dance along with him, despite there being silence. 

“I’ll have you know that I have plenty of work to do tomorrow,” she tried to warn, and Yuri only shook his head, making a soft “tsk” noise to her. 

“You saw it out there, it was a blizzard. So what’s the rush?” Yuri argued, and then they both looked outside the window, watching as the snow had only worsened, making it nearly completely white out of their window. Constance frowned a little, and she looked up to him. She was met with a worried expression, and she knew that he had picked up that something was off with her. 

“You know, you didn’t have to do that for the children today. I’m almost curious to know where you had gotten a costume like that in such a short amount of time.” Constance teased him as she moved to wrap her arms around him, moving into a proper position to dance. 

“Well, you know me. The Mockingbird never tells his secrets.” He winked down to her, making her laugh. There was the expression he loved the most, to see her smile and be entertained by something he said, he only wished to see her happy more often. As he thought to himself, Yuri managed to catch Constance off guard when he rested a cold hand on her cheek, looking into her eyes, the two of them still moving in a shared rhythm. “You know, your eyes look like starlight,” he praised, making Constance blush at the compliment, and she scoffed with a small laugh, and her reaction never failed to make his heart flutter. “There’s that smile I adore.” His compliments were shameless, but to hear her laugh at them was enough to make them both forget the blizzard that was getting worse by the second. 

“You’re far too persuasive, you know,” Constance said with a sigh, looking up to him, shaking her head slightly. “I suppose I should enjoy your presence while I have you here. You’ve mentioned that you leave in a couple of days?” She asked, and he nodded, kissing her forehead again. 

“Tomorrow night, actually. No rest for the wicked, as they say.” The Trickster sighed, and he could see the visible disappointment on her face. He pulled away from their slow dance and instead grabbed their glasses, offering the one to her before taking another sip of his wine. 

“Ah, well, I suppose I should definitely ensure that tonight is treasured, as I also have work in the morning. How long until the next time I see you after tonight?” It was a hard question, one that made Yuri take another sip before thinking of an answer. “Ah, I see that’s something even you don’t know. You’re very fortunate, Yuri Leclerc. I am a patient woman, no other would tolerate such a prolonged relationship like I am, that is if your interest hasn’t diminished in the time we’ve been separated.” 

One thing Yuri adored about her was the fact that she never ceased to be boring, or stop surprising him. When they first had decided to be partners, she was incredibly unsure what it meant to have feelings for someone, but here she was professing that she was still waiting for him. There were a lot of things that Constance was right about, and the most important thing was that he was indeed a very lucky man. 

“Tell me, Shady Lady,” he said, finishing his glass before gently setting it down, “how many suitors come knocking down your door in a week?” 

The question made her blush lightly, and she scoffed. 

“Hardly any-” She started to say, but the look from Yuri was enough to make her sigh and scratch the back of her neck, “about half of a dozen by the end of the week, if I may be so frank.” 

“Have you been tempted by any of them? Surely you must have been, there are a lot of big names who are looking to get in on the beauty of Nuvelle, as well as capitalize on her unique talents, so I wish to know if you’ve considered other options.” Yuri wasn’t upset or had even the slightest twinge of jealousy, instead, he was asking as a friend beforehand. She deserved to have someone who could fuel her dreams now and then, considering Constance only ever lived in the present tense these days. But instead, Constance was the one to move closer to him, her face in front of his with a knowing grin. 

“How peculiar, you’ve never been one to be curious about such things?” Her voice sounded knowing like she could look right through him, and all he could do was look at her lips. “Naturally, there have been some… Impressive offers. I’ll have you know that just for the chance of a date, some men have been willing to pay thousands of gold, just for a peek at my magical research.” 

Yuri let out a snort of a laugh, smirking down at her. “ _ Right,  _ that’s what they wanted.” That comment earned a slap on his arm, making her roll her eyes and look back up to him with a determined look in her eyes. 

“All of them turned down because I don’t need them.” She said, finishing her own glass then set it down, crossing her arms. 

“And what is it that you need,  _ Miss Nuvelle _ ?” 

.

.

.

“Why, you must be dense. A life one day spent by your side. You’re a man worth waiting for.” 

Those words sounded so simple, but quickly Yuri pulled her in for a kiss, surprising her, but she returned it nonetheless, wrapping her arms around him before she felt him shift so she dipped slightly, her long hair swaying as he held her securely, the two of them sharing a kiss before he pulled away, looking down to her with nothing but sheer motivation on his face. 

“Marry me, Constance,” Yuri said, making her immediately turn red, not sure how to react to his sudden proposal. 

“What- I don’t-” Constance stammered out, and Yuri smiled down to her, making her frosty heart melt at the sight of such joy on his face. As if he could have predicted her answer, he pulled her up. “Yuri, we’ve talked about making promises…” 

“Yeah, and? I don’t know if I can go another day knowing that nobles and the likes have a chance of whisking you away. I mean, think of the poor souls not knowing how to handle such an insufferable woman.” He joked, making her huff before he pulled her back up, pulling her close to him. “Luckily for you, I know exactly how to survive a lifetime of your antics.” 

“You’re ruining this proposal the more you speak.” Constance glared up at him, which made him wink back to her. “I swear, I’d feel a pang of guilt if there was anyone else in the world that would be stuck with an annoyance such as yourself. I suppose I may just have to accept to save a poor soul from being stuck with you for the rest of their life.” Constance said, looking away with a slight pink on her cheeks, and when she looked over, Yuri seemed genuinely surprised for only a moment, before quickly he pulled himself together. The next thing she knew was that he took her hand into his, and from seemingly nowhere, he produced a ring and slid it on her finger, leaving her surprised. 

“All joking aside, are you entirely sure?” She asked, looking at him with a smidge of worry, and Yuri brought her hand to his lips. 

“If I have you waiting for me, promised to me, that’s all the motivation I need to settle down in this little nest of yours. Tomorrow night, I’ll leave you, but this is an official promise to come back home. Then we can do whatever noble garbage you’d want, so you better start planning while I’m away; because when I return, I’ll want to make it official as soon as possible, darling.” 

The pair of them spent the night together, the adrenaline of the impromptu (or rather well planned) proposal kept the pair of them looking forward to whatever the two of them had in store for the other. They stayed up late, talking away at whatever they both would want once they were married, and it was a chance to forget the harsh reality that they would return to once the next evening would come. 

~

Saying goodbye to him the next day wasn’t any easier than it ever was, the two of them parting ways had always been enough to break a heart. Yuri placed a kiss on her forehead, leaving her to stand in the entrance of the Nuvelle manor, and she watched him walk away into the night, disappearing into the shadows to once again become the Savage Mockingbird; a side of him that she may never completely understand. 

Yet, no tears were shed as she watched him leave her again, and instead, she smiled softly when she fiddled with the ring on her finger as well as a note in her hands, a card of sorts with a picture of Saint Cichol along with a promise to spend the next holiday season with her, and to stay for far longer.

It was almost as if she knew that no matter what, he would find his way back home; back to her.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so so much for taking the time to read this silly little fic I wrote, and I hope you guys have happy holidays 💖 I'm so thankful to have my work be read by people and hopefully you guys enjoyed it! 
> 
> Like always, you can find me as @iam_daibae on Twitter and please feel free to leave a Kudos and comment! Thank you again 💖💕


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